Glamour stakes are high at the world-famous Ladies Day

Women were out to celebrate at Aintree as the world-famous racecourse held its annual Ladies Day.

Racegoers wore their finest for the famously glamorous event at the Merseyside course.

• Our sports correspondent Mike Hall is at Ladies' Day

Laura Barnett, 33, from Lytham, said: "Ladies Day is about us all being great. We're all amazing and we are all here for a reason - to celebrate ourselves."

Her friend, Charlotte Partington, 34, said: "It's all about having a laugh, dressing up, good fun and the atmosphere."

Friends Sarah Brown and Nicky Shaw, both 36, both wore black and white for the occasion, with black fascinators.

Ms Shaw, from Bootle, Merseyside, said:

Many women opted for bold colours to brighten up the cloudy day and accessorised with extravagant fascinators - with one racegoer, Karen Bettany, showing off headwear shaped like a flamingo.

Jayne Jones, 55, from Croston, Lancashire, wore a pink dress paired with cobalt blue accessories - including sparkly blue Irregular Choice shoes which she had worn for her wedding.

She said:

Friends Charlotte Scotson, 22, Kara Cheston, 21, and Grace Myler, 21, from Wigan. said they had spent months planning their outfits.

Ms Myler, who wore a dress which had a pastel pink skirt, said: "It is a little bit stressful choosing an outfit!

"We always have fun here, we've never had a bad day, even when it's rained."

Jasmine Roby, 21, from Wigan, attended the event with her mother, Beverley Roby, 53, and friend, Emily Powers, 21, and said they were there to enjoy themselves.

She said: "Sometimes there are bad pictures of women but people are having fun and a lot of the time the pictures don't do them justice."

Mrs Roby said: "We are just here to have a good time."